Meghan Markle Has ‘Relatable’ Moment with Mom at Children’s Hospital L.A. Gala: ‘It Was Incredibly Sweet’

Meghan Markle had a "relatable" moment with a fellow mom during her surprise appearance at the Children's Hospital Los Angeles 2024 Gala.

After walking the green carpet during her unexpected appearance at the event on Saturday, Oct. 5, Meghan spotted a former CHLA cancer patient named Ella, who was with her parents, Megan and Marcus, and her little brother Francis. According to an attendee at the gala, Meghan went up to Ella, crouched down to her level, asked what her name was and told her she was beautiful. She then introduced herself to Ella's family and took photos in an unplanned interaction.

At one point, Meghan had a brief exchange with Ella's mother, also named Megan, about how they both have two young kids, and Meghan mentioned her two children were at home. Meghan, 43, is mom to Prince Archie , 5, and Princess Lilibet , 3, whom she shares with husband Prince Harry .

"It was incredibly sweet, and at one point Ella's mom and Meghan had a relatable moment about having two young kids," an attendee tells PEOPLE.

The guest adds, "Meghan was lovely, and there was no pretense about her. She was smiling and happy to shake hands with anyone who approached her."

Ella was diagnosed with stage 4 neuroblastoma when she was just two years old in 2020, and her family moved across the country from Virginia to California to receive treatment at CHLA. According to CHLA , Ella has shown no evidence of the disease since 2021, and officially completed treatment in June 2022. Ella's mother Megan told the hospital that she believes "the best decision we made as a family was to come to CHLA."

Meeting the Duchess of Sussex wasn't Ella's only brush with fame — she was also handpicked by Justin Timberlake to come up onstage with him at the CHLA gala in 2022. He held her in his arms as he performed the song "Lovely Day."

At the Oct. 5 event, Meghan sat with CHLA CEO Paul S. Viviano and at the same table as Jimmy Kimmel and wife Molly McNearny .

"She was so approachable and accessible," an attendee says of Meghan. "It was refreshing."

Though her appearance at the gala was a surprise, Meghan has been a longtime supporter of the hospital. On March 21, Meghan visited CHLA to lead a Literally Healing session, where she used her acting chops to illuminate storytime with the kids.

"Children were laughing and singing as the Duchess turned into character with every page as she read patient favorite books like Rosie the Riveter, Pete the Cat and I Saw a Cat," according to a statement. Meghan gave animated readings, adding voice inflections and gestures to go along with the stories, and as she excitedly showed the cover of Rosie Revere, Engineer, she told the group, "This is one of my favorites," according to a video from the visit .

Meghan herself is a children's book author, writing 2021's The Bench after being inspired by son Archie's relationship with his dad Harry, now 40.

"The Bench started as a poem I wrote for my husband on Father's Day, the month after Archie was born," Meghan said in the press release from publisher Random House Children's Books. "That poem became this story."

At the Oct. 5 gala, Meghan recycled a red Carolina Herrera gown she originally wore in November 2021 alongside Harry at the Salute to Freedom gala honoring veterans at the Intrepid Museum in New York City ahead of Veterans' Day in the U.S. and Remembrance Day in the U.K. For her Oct. 5 rewear of the dress, the sweeping red train from the 2021 appearance was absent.

At the event Saturday, Meghan said the hospital was the "best place in the world" for children to receive treatment, she said in an interview shared on Instagram .

"Oh my goodness, the work they do at Children's Hospital L.A. is otherworldly, and I think from my standpoint at a mother, no one wants to be in a position where you need to go to a place like this, but if you have to, the best place in the world you could go would be Children's Hospital L.A.," she said.

"The staff is incredible, and the amount of work they do for families that really could not afford this level of care is something that I think should never be overlooked," Meghan continued. "So I'm just grateful for everything they do," she said, adding that she was "happy to be here to support."

The gala takes place every two years and pays tribute to CHLA's patients and hospital pediatric workers, which include some of California's best physicians, researchers and caregivers, according to the hospital's website .

Harry, who has been in Lesotho this week , did not attend the event with his wife. Meghan walked the carpet holding hands with friend and Alliance of Moms co-founder Kelly McKee Zajfen, who has previously called the Duchess of Sussex "a fierce advocate for those who are in need."

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A close source previously told PEOPLE that Meghan and Harry are going through a shift professionally . "It's clear that a twin-track approach is evolving," a friend said.

Another royal source added, "The Duke and Duchess have now hit their stride as individuals — not just as a couple. The Duke appears focused on his patronage work, and the Duchess focused on her entrepreneurial track."